On Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:30:11 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:

> rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote at 02:03 this Thursday (GMT):
>> On Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:50:12 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:
>>
>>> And they still use that today, I think.
>>
>> You bet. I ran DISM trying to fix an 11 box with a perpetually failing
>> update and it needed a string of /this /that/ /theotherthing
>
>
> Dang, what was the issue?

A hell of my own making. When Windows 11 was on the horizon we wanted to
start testing with it. I'd signed up for the Windows Insider Developers
program, intending to stick it on a sacrificial machine for QA. Anyway my
main machine wound up being the one that got enrolled and once you've
crossed the bridge there's no going back without a clean install.

Other than the annoyance of getting an update about once a week it hasn't
been too bad although the update has sometimes broken minor things like
SQL Server. About a month ago the update failed and rolled back. Usually
the update dialog says 'Retry' which invariably fails. There is an
Insiders channel and it appears many people are stuck.

Sometimes you can turn of the Windows update service and bits, blow away
c:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and get past the failure but that hasn't
been working. DISM was a last attempt at trying to expunge every reference
to the failing update with hopes of getting past it.

MS also has the Canaries channel which is equivalent to Fedora's Rawhide
are you feeling lucky? distro and supposedly the next update will be the
same for developers and canaries before the two channels split again.

I'd say screw it and reinstall 11 but it is my main work machine. It still
functions except for the stuck update so I don't care at this point. One
of MS's screw ups was pushing out a 'Windows Next' update that also failed
but would try again every night and reboot. At least they fixed that one
although it let the 'Next' (12?) cat out of the bag.

This is why my work Linux box is boring old Debian, my main home box is
almost as boring Ubuntu, and my screw around boxes are Fedora and Lubuntu.

rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote at 20:31 this Thursday (GMT):
> On Thu, 28 Mar 2024 14:30:11 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:
>
>> rbowman <bowman@montana.com> wrote at 02:03 this Thursday (GMT):
>>> On Wed, 27 Mar 2024 14:50:12 -0000 (UTC), candycanearter07 wrote:
>>>
>>>> And they still use that today, I think.
>>>
>>> You bet. I ran DISM trying to fix an 11 box with a perpetually failing
>>> update and it needed a string of /this /that/ /theotherthing
>>
>>
>> Dang, what was the issue?
>
> A hell of my own making. When Windows 11 was on the horizon we wanted to
> start testing with it. I'd signed up for the Windows Insider Developers
> program, intending to stick it on a sacrificial machine for QA. Anyway my
> main machine wound up being the one that got enrolled and once you've
> crossed the bridge there's no going back without a clean install.
>
> Other than the annoyance of getting an update about once a week it hasn't
> been too bad although the update has sometimes broken minor things like
> SQL Server. About a month ago the update failed and rolled back. Usually
> the update dialog says 'Retry' which invariably fails. There is an
> Insiders channel and it appears many people are stuck.
>
> Sometimes you can turn of the Windows update service and bits, blow away
> c:\Windows\SoftwareDistribution and get past the failure but that hasn't
> been working. DISM was a last attempt at trying to expunge every reference
> to the failing update with hopes of getting past it.
>
> MS also has the Canaries channel which is equivalent to Fedora's Rawhide
> are you feeling lucky? distro and supposedly the next update will be the
> same for developers and canaries before the two channels split again.
>
> I'd say screw it and reinstall 11 but it is my main work machine. It still
> functions except for the stuck update so I don't care at this point. One
> of MS's screw ups was pushing out a 'Windows Next' update that also failed
> but would try again every night and reboot. At least they fixed that one
> although it let the 'Next' (12?) cat out of the bag.

I'm betting more on a true OS as a service than Windows "12".

> This is why my work Linux box is boring old Debian, my main home box is
> almost as boring Ubuntu, and my screw around boxes are Fedora and Lubuntu.

--
user <candycane> is generated from /dev/urandom

On 3/24/24 1:20 PM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
> candycanearter07 wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>
>> Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> wrote at 12:50 this Sunday (GMT):
>>>
>>> At work I wanted to make Caps Lock = Ctrl, so I had to google it up, make
>>> myself a temporary-limited user via the corporate crapware, and make the
>>> change.
>>>
>>> Only to find later that a corporate update or something changed it back.
>>> So now I have to undo the accidental typing a capital letters a lot :-(.
>>>
>>> And they got a white-list of apps you can install. IIRC, gummint IT had
>>> a huge black-list instead.
>>
>> Maybe if you ask nicely they could whitelist AutoHotKey?
>
> Nah. Retiring soon.
>

There reaches just such a point for everyone. How close are you to FRA
for Social Security? I've recently been working with and learning some
tools which optimize one's collection strategy for SS; let me know if
you're close enough to be interested in them & their basic operating
principles & I'll get you up to speed quickly.

-hh

On Fri, 29 Mar 2024 19:21:56 -0400, -hh wrote:

> There reaches just such a point for everyone. How close are you to FRA
> for Social Security? I've recently been working with and learning some
> tools which optimize one's collection strategy for SS; let me know if
> you're close enough to be interested in them & their basic operating
> principles & I'll get you up to speed quickly.

That's a long way in the rear view mirror for me. When I hit 70 SS sent me
a letter saying I really should file because the benefits weren't going to
get any better. That wasn't completely accurate. Since I'm still working
and paying in I get little bumps up.

-hh wrote:

> Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>>
>> Retiring soon.
>>
>
>There reaches just such a point for everyone. How close are you to FRA
>for Social Security? I've recently been working with and learning some
>tools which optimize one's collection strategy for SS; let me know if
>you're close enough to be interested in them & their basic operating
>principles & I'll get you up to speed quickly.

I can't think of anything better than "start taking it when you stop
working." At least, for my "middle of the road" financial situation
and expected lifetime. I'm not thinking along the lines of "well, you
*might* live to be 90"...

-hh wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> On 3/24/24 1:20 PM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>> candycanearter07 wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>>
>>> Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> wrote at 12:50 this Sunday (GMT):
>>>>
>>>> At work I wanted to make Caps Lock = Ctrl, so I had to google it up, make
>>>> myself a temporary-limited user via the corporate crapware, and make the
>>>> change.
>>>>
>>>> Only to find later that a corporate update or something changed it back.
>>>> So now I have to undo the accidental typing a capital letters a lot :-(.
>>>>
>>>> And they got a white-list of apps you can install. IIRC, gummint IT had
>>>> a huge black-list instead.
>>>
>>> Maybe if you ask nicely they could whitelist AutoHotKey?
>>
>> Nah. Retiring soon.
>
> There reaches just such a point for everyone. How close are you to FRA
> for Social Security? I've recently been working with and learning some
> tools which optimize one's collection strategy for SS; let me know if
> you're close enough to be interested in them & their basic operating
> principles & I'll get you up to speed quickly.

Thank you for the kind thought. However I am already at full-retirement age
and got everything squared away. Also pretty set with the 401k stuff, too.

Yesterday was my last day on the job. I boxed up the fershlugging Windows
laptop and will take it to Fedex on Monday. More room on the desk for the
Linux laptops.

Again, thanks!

--
Today is what happened to yesterday.

On Sat, 30 Mar 2024 08:25:56 -0500, chrisv wrote:

> I can't think of anything better than "start taking it when you stop
> working." At least, for my "middle of the road" financial situation and
> expected lifetime. I'm not thinking along the lines of "well, you
> *might* live to be 90"...

It wasn't a strategy for me. I enjoy what I'm doing, didn't need the
money, and hit 70 when the payout is maximized. Continuing to work after
70 didn't do anything good for my tax liability.

Relf wrote:

>The pandemic f*cked me up, leaving me jobless & bedridden.

You were fscked-up before then, Relf.

>Mother Earth is training me, apparently.
>When I stand up, she "beats me down" (i.e. I feel weak & nauseous).
>When I lay down, she gives me a "doggy treat" (i.e. it feels good).

That's why you stand up. If you want to live, anyway.

--
"you don't have the ability to list any innovations from the FOSS
copycats." - trolling fsckwit "Ezekiel"

On 3/30/2024 11:36 AM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:

> Yesterday was my last day on the job.

Congrats on a career helping Microsoft and Windows stay on top!

Your wallet and family thank you.

rbowman wrote:

> chrisv wrote:
>
>> I can't think of anything better than "start taking it when you stop
>> working." At least, for my "middle of the road" financial situation and
>> expected lifetime. I'm not thinking along the lines of "well, you
>> *might* live to be 90"...
>
>It wasn't a strategy for me. I enjoy what I'm doing, didn't need the
>money, and hit 70 when the payout is maximized. Continuing to work after
>70 didn't do anything good for my tax liability.

I'm getting close to the point of being able to retire comfortably,
but probably won't. I don't know what I'd do with myself all day
every day.

On 3/30/24 11:36 AM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
> -hh wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>
>> On 3/24/24 1:20 PM, Chris Ahlstrom wrote:
>>> candycanearter07 wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:
>>>
>>>> Chris Ahlstrom <OFeem1987@teleworm.us> wrote at 12:50 this Sunday (GMT):
>>>>>
>>>>> At work I wanted to make Caps Lock = Ctrl, so I had to google it up, make
>>>>> myself a temporary-limited user via the corporate crapware, and make the
>>>>> change.
>>>>>
>>>>> Only to find later that a corporate update or something changed it back.
>>>>> So now I have to undo the accidental typing a capital letters a lot :-(.
>>>>>
>>>>> And they got a white-list of apps you can install. IIRC, gummint IT had
>>>>> a huge black-list instead.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe if you ask nicely they could whitelist AutoHotKey?
>>>
>>> Nah. Retiring soon.
>>
>> There reaches just such a point for everyone. How close are you to FRA
>> for Social Security? I've recently been working with and learning some
>> tools which optimize one's collection strategy for SS; let me know if
>> you're close enough to be interested in them & their basic operating
>> principles & I'll get you up to speed quickly.
>
> Thank you for the kind thought. However I am already at full-retirement age
> and got everything squared away. Also pretty set with the 401k stuff, too.

Well, the main "trick" is that the SS website (or annual report) no
longer clearly tells you what your "PIA" value is. Its equal to your
age 67 FRA monthly benefit.

From there, one can plug that PIA into the below website and run some
scenarios to determine an Actuarial-based optimized claiming strategy:

https://opensocialsecurity.com

The TL;DR here is that it isn't necessarily age 67 or 70. The runs I
did came back with age 68+3 months as the highest present value optimum;
going to want to do some more digging as to precisely why. In any
event, the tool also quantifies how de-optimal other claim dates are, so
one can choose something else and know if it is a minor -1% hit or
something bigger, etc. Overall, its just one more piece of the
retirement income stream jigsaw puzzle.

> Yesterday was my last day on the job. I boxed up the fershlugging Windows
> laptop and will take it to Fedex on Monday. More room on the desk for the
> Linux laptops.
>
> Again, thanks!
>

Enjoy.

And pretty good timing too, as you're now free to go travel to wherever
you want to be to witness firsthand next week's total Solar Eclipse.
Its still a bit early, but weather forecasts are suggesting that maybe
New England might have the best chance for clear skies in the USA.

-hh

-hh wrote this copyrighted missive and expects royalties:

> And pretty good timing too, as you're now free to go travel to wherever
> you want to be to witness firsthand next week's total Solar Eclipse.
> Its still a bit early, but weather forecasts are suggesting that maybe
> New England might have the best chance for clear skies in the USA.

I saw the 2017 from my front yard in Charleston SC. It was totally amazing,
no photos or videos could do it just.

--
Q: Why do ducks have big flat feet?
A: To stamp out forest fires.
Q: Why do elephants have big flat feet?
A: To stamp out flaming ducks.

On 28 Mar 2024 20:31:15 GMT, rbowman wrote:

> This is why my work Linux box is boring old Debian ...

Servers I set up for customers are invariably Debian Stable these days.

For myself, I have used a number of different things, including Gentoo.
Currently it’s Debian Unstable.

On 22 Mar 2024 18:08:34 GMT, rbowman wrote:

> For all most people know there's only two choices ...

Talking about US politics? Other countries are much better democracies.
You can tell which ones they are: they offer a realistic choice of more
than two parties to vote for, and the ones running for election are not
the ones running the election.

On Wed, 3 Apr 2024 07:50:18 -0000 (UTC), Lawrence D'Oliveiro wrote:

> On 22 Mar 2024 18:08:34 GMT, rbowman wrote:
>
>> For all most people know there's only two choices ...
>
> Talking about US politics? Other countries are much better democracies.
> You can tell which ones they are: they offer a realistic choice of more
> than two parties to vote for, and the ones running for election are not
> the ones running the election.

Yes, the US. I enjoyed the Danish series Borgen as it showed the
wheeling-dealing needed to assemble a government. At least in that system
a small party like the Libertarians has some bargaining power if they're
needed to form a government. In the US they get their 3% of the vote and
fade away until the next election cycle. They're about the only party that
can consistently even manage 3%.